Kia Ranks First in 7 Models in JD Power Product Satisfaction Survey

Kia achieved a remarkable feat by securing first place in seven vehicle segments in the U.S. New Vehicle Appeal Study. This survey demonstrated Kia's global top-tier product competitiveness.

On the 21st, Kia announced that seven of its models ranked first in their respective segments in the '2023 Automotive Performance Execution and Layout (APEAL) Study' released by U.S. market research firm J.D. Power. This is the first time since the survey began that a single brand has taken first place in seven segments.

Kia Carnival

Now in its 28th year, the J.D. Power APEAL Study was conducted through surveys targeting customers in the U.S. who purchased vehicles (197 models from 32 brands) between November last year and February this year, three months after purchase.

The study notably emphasizes emotional factors such as interior and exterior styling, driving performance, infotainment convenience, safety, and economy. Scores are based on a 1000-point scale, with higher scores indicating greater product satisfaction.

Kia ranked first in the following segments: Carnival (849 points) in the minivan segment; EV6 (861 points) in the compact SUV segment; Forte (K3) (841 points) in the compact car segment; K5 (875 points) in the mid-size car segment; Rio (807 points) in the subcompact car segment; Stinger (884 points) in the mid-size premium segment; and Telluride (873 points) in the large SUV segment.

This achievement is particularly meaningful as the Carnival and Telluride secured first place in the highly competitive minivan and large SUV segments in the U.S. automotive market.

The EV6, which took first place in the compact SUV segment with 861 points, earned the highest score among electric vehicles from mainstream brands, outperforming competitors such as the Ford F-150, Volkswagen ID.4, Toyota bZ4X, and Chevrolet Bolt EV by a significant margin. The EV6 also received high marks in the APEAL Fuel Economy Index, which measures efficiency factors like charging speed and driving range, ranking second after the BMW iX.

A Kia representative stated, "This result is due to our continuous efforts from the early stages of product development to satisfy customers. We will continue to strive to be recognized by customers for value across all aspects of our vehicles, including product appeal and quality."

Meanwhile, in this survey, Hyundai Motor Company ranked first in the mid-size pickup segment with the Santa Cruz (841 points), and Genesis took first place in the compact premium SUV segment with the GV60 (878 points). The Santa Cruz secured first place in the mid-size pickup segment for the second consecutive year, while the GV60 achieved first place in its segment in its debut year.

With this, Hyundai Motor Group placed nine models first in their respective segments this year, up from seven last year. This is the highest number of top-ranked models among global automotive groups. Following Hyundai Motor Group, BMW Group ranked five models first, and Toyota Group ranked three models first.

This content was produced with the assistance of AI translation services.